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Solar panels electrify Shorewood schools

Paul Zovic, president of the Shorewood School Board, checks out one of the new solar panels installed atop the Shorewood Intermediate School. Installations there and at the high school are among more than 580 solar systems installed around Wisconsin with help from the Focus on Energy program.

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Kristyna Wentz-Graff

Paul Zovic, president of the Shorewood School Board, checks out one of the new solar panels installed atop the Shorewood Intermediate School. Installations there and at the high school are among more than 580 solar systems installed around Wisconsin with help from the Focus on Energy program.

Solar photovoltaic systems capable of generating about 15 kilowatts of electricity were connected to the power grid Friday at the intermediate and high schools in Shorewood. That's about enough to power two homes.

It's among nearly 600 projects installed across Wisconsin with financial support from the state Focus on Energy program.

The two systems in Shorewood were installed by UrbanRE Vitalization Group LLC of Milwaukee.

The Shorewood project was financed with the help of a $35,000 grant from the state Focus on Energy program and a $50,000 grant from We Energies.

"By helping clients work with both Focus on Energy and We Energies, we will be able to extend our reach and get more people to start thinking about renewable energy," said Lisa Schaal of UrbanRE.

Across the state, the more than 580 projects bring to 2.5 megawatts the amount of solar power that's come online with financial assistance from Focus, a program funded through charges on electricity bills of customers across the state.